Fan 1935 - 1942

Bessie Forman made this small painting of a fan on paper, and what strikes me is the tenderness. I imagine her dabbing the paint, letting the brush dance around the surface to create these lovely floral and bird motifs. The color palette feels really intimate, like a personal world that Forman is inviting us into. It makes me think about the quiet moments an artist spends alone with their work, lost in thought and creation. You know, it reminds me of artists like Joseph Yoakum, who created these incredible imaginary landscapes from memory. There's something so genuine about that, a direct line from the artist's mind to the paper. As artists, we're always in conversation with each other, building on what came before, and pushing the boundaries of what painting can be. Forman's simple yet heartfelt painting is a beautiful example of how art can be a form of expression.